Stormy Daniels has a ‘Message’ for Melania

Stormy Daniels has urged Melania Trump to ‘leave’ her husband after he was convicted of trying to illegally influence the 2016 election by sending a $130,000 hush money payment to her.

During the ex-president’s six-week trial, which culminated in a New York jury finding him guilty of falsifying business records, the former First Lady never once appeared in court raising questions about the state of their 19-year marriage.

Now Stormy, the woman who the businessman, 77, allegedly cheated on her with just a year after tying the knot, has urged the Slovenian former model to divorce him, the Mirror reports.

“I don’t know what their agreement may or may not be, but Melania needs to leave him. Not because of what he did with me or other women but because he is a convicted felon,” she told the Mirror.

“It’s been proven he is abusive; he was found liable for sexual assault and tax fraud and is now a criminal. He’s neither Teflon Don nor Teflon Con anymore.”

Today, Trump took to national US television to discuss his case, admitting it had taken a toll on Melania. In an interview that aired on Fox and Friends, he said he was “fine” but conceded, “It’s very hard for her. It’s tougher, I think it’s probably in many ways, it’s tougher on my family than it is on me,” he said.

Asked how Melania was doing, he said: “She’s fine, but I think it’s very hard for her. I mean, she’s fine. But it’s, you know, she has to read all this c***.”

Both Stormy and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen testified during the trial that the former president expressed little concern about how Melania might perceive his alleged infidelity when, in 2016, his one night with Stormy was about to be made public.

Cohen told the court: “I said to him, ‘And how’s things going to go with upstairs? Were you concerned about that?'” referring to Melania.

His then-boss replied: “Don’t worry. … How long do you think I will be on the market for? Not long.” When asked why she thinks Melania – and Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka – never attended the trial, Stormy believes it was because of their kids.

The mum-of-one said: “I would not want to expose my children to that dangerous environment. And Melanie and Ivanka are both parents, their mothers who have younger children, and that would be my reason.”

“You know, if it was the other way around, even if I wanted to support my spouse or my family member, I would choose the safety and privacy of my child over attending court.”

Trump’s former press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, previously told how the former Apprentice star would be “absolutely” bothered that his wife and his daughter did not attend his trial.

“Absolutely, I know it bothers him. That kind of thing would bother him. If Mrs Trump wasn’t at some event and it was really noted, he would definitely bring it up with her. So I’m sure in this context, it’s definitely really bothering him,” she said.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former senior advisor to the First Lady, however, believes mum-of-one Melania will not be taken aback by Trump’s guilty verdict.

“Melania knew exactly who she married. She knew that this was a transactional marriage,” she said. “She became a top model. He became a loving, doting father, and it set them up for their win for the White House.”

Stormy first came into the spotlight in the lead-up to Trump’s presidency when news broke of their alleged 2006 one-night stand. The scandal, marked by legal battles and media frenzy, exposed the complexities of Trump’s personal life and raised further questions about his character and integrity.

Now, with Trump’s conviction for falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 hush money payment to her, Stormy believes it is now time for Melania, 54, to move on.

Her advice is rooted not only in the recent conviction but also in the broader context of the former First Lady’s public image and personal struggles. Throughout Trump’s presidency, Melania maintained a stoic and often enigmatic presence, famously embodying the “Be Best” initiative to promote children’s wellbeing.

Despite her public role, speculation about her private life and marriage has been constantly under the spotlight, forced to hear lurid allegations after lurid allegations about her husband. It is why Stormy is adamant about why Trump never took the stand – saying it would have created his own Monica Lewinsky moment.

“To my mind, it’s very simple why he didn’t give evidence,” she tells me. “He didn’t want to perjure himself. He would have committed perjury. The prosecution would have straight out asked him if Miss Daniels was lying. Did you have a sexual relationship with that woman?”

“He couldn’t tell the truth, and he could not lie either, so he never gave evidence. What happened between me and him wasn’t about the sex, it wasn’t about the hush money, it wasn’t about the NDA, it wasn’t about where he put his little thing. It wasn’t about any of that.

“It was about his falsifying of business documents. It wasn’t a hush-money trial. It wasn’t the Stormy Daniels trial. I was just the sensationalism angle.” The last thing she wants, however, is pity.

“The whole Trump saga, the threats, the constant abuse has been awful, and I hate admitting that because I don’t need people to sort of feel sorry for me, but I’ll never be able to make them understand. Like, they’ll never get it.

“The last thing I want is for people to feel sorry for me, but I want to be treated fairly. I know there’s no way I could ever explain to somebody what being me was like.

“It’s not like I can go to therapy. There’s no precedent for taking out a president. There’s also no precedent for the person who took out a President like to get therapy.”

Stormy says she hoped that Trump’s conviction would finally bring closure to her.

“I just thought I would put the bow on the package, and it’d be all tied up and good. It’s not really any different,” she says. “The only change is I don’t have to go to court again because that’s never fun.”

Trump remains free on his own recognisance after the verdict but will be sentenced in the Manhattan courtroom on July 11. That will be just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where party leaders are set to formally nominate him for the November election. Trump has been charged in three other criminal cases, but it is unclear if any of them will go to trial before voters go to the polls.

The 2020 election interference case in Washington remains on hold while the US Supreme Court considers Trump’s claim that he is immune from prosecution for actions taken while in the White House. When asked if she is finished with the former president, Stormy speaks for the whole of America.

“Are we ever really done with Donald Trump?” she says with a wry smile. Then, referring to his fake tan, she jokes: “He is an orange stain that will be on me for a very long time. It’s like a scarlet letter, but worse.”